United States or El Salvador ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Robertson's excellent historical works, in the ardour of contest, than expressed his real and decided opinion; for it is not easy to suppose, that he should so widely differ from the rest of the literary world. JOHNSON. 'I remember once being with Goldsmith in Westminster-abbey. While we surveyed the Poets' Corner, I said to him, "Forsitan et nostrum nomen miscebitur istis."
When they got to Temple Bar Goldsmith pointed to the heads of the Jacobites upon it and slily suggested, Forsitan et nostrum nomen miscebitur istis. Johnson next pronounced a critical judgment which should be set against many sins of that kind. He praised the Pilgrim's Progress very warmly, and suggested that Bunyan had probably read Spenser.
Walking one day with Goldsmith, in Westminster Abbey, among the tombs of monarchs, warriors, and statesmen, they came to the sculptured mementos of literary worthies in Poets' Corner. Casting his eye round upon these memorials of genius, Johnson muttered in a low tone to his companion, "Forsitan et nostrum nomen miscebitur istis."
But when he goes on as they did to Temple Bar, he will find that ancient monument retired into the country and certainly nothing whatever to remind him of the Jacobite heads still mouldering on it, which gave occasion to Goldsmith's witty turning of his Tory friend's quotation "Forsitan et nostrum nomen miscebitur ISTIS." But on that holy ground the Johnsonian will hardly miss even Temple Bar.
when we got to Temple-bar he stopped me, pointed to the heads upon it, and slily whispered me, "Forsitan et nostrum nomen miscebitur ISTIS."* * In allusion to Dr. Johnson's supposed political principles, and perhaps his own. Boswell. Johnson praised John Bunyan highly.
His last recorded words were to a young lady who had begged for his blessing: "God bless you, my dear." The same day, December 13th, 1784, he gradually sank and died peacefully. He was laid in the Abbey by the side of Goldsmith, and the playful prediction has been amply fulfilled: Forsitan et nostrum nomen miscebitur istis.
Goldsmith treasured up the intimated hope, and shortly afterward, as they were passing by Temple bar, where the heads of Jacobite rebels, executed for treason, were mouldering aloft on spikes, pointed up to the grizzly mementos, and echoed the intimation, "Forsitan et nostrum nomen miscebitur istis."
On the present occasion he said that he would give to Robertson the advice offered by an old college tutor to a pupil; "read over your compositions, and whenever you meet with a passage which you think particularly fine, strike it out." A good anecdote of Goldsmith followed. Johnson had said to him once in the Poet's Corner at Westminster, Forsitan et nostrum nomen miscebitur istis.
The young poet may still stand where he and Goldsmith stood in Poets' Corner and say in his heart with Johnson "Forsitan et nostrum nomen miscebitur istis."
Word Of The Day